All the Time
by D. melanogaster
Summary: Harry Potter loves Ginny Weasley. And the both knew it. Or at least now they do. Written for SIYE's Three Little Words challenge.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I kind of wish I did, though.**

**All the Time**

It hadn't been awkward at first.

Even though the Burrow was crowded, what with all the Weasley children temporarily back home and Harry and Hermione staying there as well, the atmosphere was subdued because one was still missing. Bill and Fleur only stayed a few nights, but the rest were there for longer, and as they slowly started to handle their sorrow, the house was full of life.

And then the awkwardness started.

Imagine staying in the same house with your girlfriend. Sounds good, yes? Then imagine your girlfriend's parents staying in that house with you. Doesn't sound quite so good anymore, does it? And then, imagine four of your girlfriend's brothers also in that same house. Somehow, when Harry Potter had first thought of it, it hadn't sounded all that bad. Three weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts, he no longer remembered why.

Of all the emotions he had felt after the battle, the wonder of still being alive felt no less overwhelming, and like any seventeen-year-old bloke, he was happy to share it with his girl. Ginny was all for taking long walks that really were nothing but excuses for snogging sessions, or going out to Muggle places where they could stand close to each other and hold hands and not end up on the cover of _Witch Weekly_.

Incidentally, the time they _had_ been on the cover, it hadn't only inspired them to avoid most wizarding establishments. It had also brought their relationship into sharp focus at the Burrow, and as far as Harry was concerned, nothing good came out of having more attention on them.

The most embarrassing moment that Harry was sure the Weasleys would never let him forget was a classic incident after the shower.

He'd helped Ron degnome the garden, and it was a hot summer day, so he was more than ready for a shower after an hour of lugging gnomes. It was only when he was drying off that he realised he had forgotten to grab a change of clothes, and he didn't want to put on the same sweaty ones he had worn earlier, so he left the bathroom in only a towel. And ran straight into Ginny.

It was exactly like a scene from a cliché romance, with a surprised Ginny staring at Harry, who was now beginning to wonder why he hadn't just summoned a change of clothes, until…

"Naked Wizards have contributed very little to Magical civilization." Mr Weasley was going upstairs, too, brandishing that morning's issue of the Daily Prophet at his daughter. "You focus on the ones with clothes on, sweetheart."

Harry hadn't been able to look the man in the eye for days after that, and Mr Weasley's uncharacteristic guffaws during dinner that night didn't help. Of course everyone wanted to know why George making fun of an article in the Prophet that had referred to Harry's "contribution to Magical civilization" was so amusing.

That had prompted the jokes of Harry's intentions – when Charlie had playfully asked what the Chosen One could possibly want from their lowly little sister, somehow, "I love her" popped first into Harry's mind. Ginny saved him from having to respond by swiftly whacking the back of her brother's head, and a good thing it was, too; Harry was embarrassed enough already.

Either way, after that Harry's intentions were clear to himself, if they hadn't been already. He intended to marry that girl. But more importantly, he intended to move to Grimmauld Place as soon as he could.

x-x

Two weeks after the shower incident and a week after Harry had moved to Grimmauld Place, he was babysitting little Teddy Lupin with Ginny. Andromeda had some business at Gringotts that she absolutely had to attend, and Harry had had to persuade her a bit to leave Teddy with him. He had spent plenty of time with his godson but never more than a few minutes without Andromeda around, and although he had been confident that he could handle it just fine, Teddy seemed to delight in proving him wrong.

When he wasn't crawling somewhere he shouldn't be going, he was pulling at Harry's hair or yanking off his glasses or, Harry's personal favourite, screaming his head off. That is, Teddy would do all that, until Ginny would step in. And somehow, she always managed to calm him down and pry Harry's glasses from him long enough for Harry to get rid of the smudgy fingerprints on them. And she'd take Teddy at just the right moment, so he had to let go of his godfather's hair before Harry lost all his locks, or she'd go after Teddy when he went exploring.

It worked the other way, too.

When Andromeda came to pick up her grandson, she was somewhat surprised to see Harry wasn't on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Recognising her confusion for what it was, Harry had to laugh.

"Ginny left two minutes before you got here," he explained, and Andromeda smiled at him.

"Ah. I see this arrangement has been mutually beneficial," she said, her smile widening when Harry obviously didn't understand what her point was. "I get a babysitter, and you two get practice."

Even though Harry could already feel his cheeks reddening, he couldn't help grinning at Andromeda's implied prediction.

"Yeah. It looks like we make a good team," he replied, gesturing towards Teddy who was now taking a nap.

"I'm not surprised. She is quite something, isn't she?" asked Andromeda with a hint of teasing in her voice, and Harry just grinned wider.

"She is. That's why I love her," he said with a shrug. Andromeda didn't make a fuss about the words, she just smiled softly, and silently wondered if Harry had fully realised what he was saying.

x-x

As with most things in life, the summer eventually came to an end, and so did Harry's little vacation. He and Ron had Auror training waiting for them, seeing that the Magical Law Enforcement wasn't about to turn them down even without NEWTs now that there were fewer Aurors than there had been in living memory. Hermione and Ginny, however, were going back to Hogwarts, and like protocol dictated, Harry and Ron went to see them off at King's Cross.

"It feels so strange," said Hermione, while Ron was saying goodbye to Ginny. Harry could see she was blinking back tears. "I've known all along that you weren't coming, but it feels more real now. This is the first time in eight years you two prats won't be there – what am I supposed to do in my spare time if I can't pester you to do your homework?"

"I'm sure you'll come up with something. Like writing to Ron and me and telling us to do our homework," joked Harry, and it got a teary laugh out of his friend. "I don't know what we'll do now that we can't get all the right answers from you. We'll be kicked out in two days."

"You'll do fine, Harry," chided Hermione, and pulled him into a hug. "Oh, I'm really going to miss you. Promise me you'll be careful, all right? And look after Ron?"

"I'll miss you, too," replied Harry, once Hermione let go of him and he could get air into his lungs again. "And I promise, though I don't know how much Ron needs looking after. Keep Ginny company for me?"

"Of course. We'll be each other's moral support," Hermione said, her tones serious but her eyes twinkling. "You can do the same with Ron. Lovesick fools that you'll be, you'll need it."

A laugh and one final quick hug later, it was time to say goodbye to Ginny. And somehow, it seemed so much more difficult.

"I'll miss you." This time Harry was the first to say it.

"I'll miss you too. You'll be there for the first Hogsmeade weekend?" asked Ginny, for the hundredth time, and Harry nodded.

"Most definitely," he replied, and then, much too soon, the whistle signalling the time to get on the train could be heard. One kiss that was too short, and a hug Harry didn't want to end, and then Ginny and Hermione were aboard the Hogwarts Express, waving at them, and finally out of sight.

Harry and Ron's despondent sighs were practically simultaneous.

"You love my sister, don't you?" Ron's words weren't really a question, but more of a resigned statement. Despite feeling like he'd just lost a part of him, Harry had to grin.

"Most definitely," he stated.

And Ron didn't really see a need to dissect it further, but he did mention it once, in passing, in one of his letters to his girlfriend. Hermione didn't say a word, either – she just surreptitiously checked a few of the letters Harry sent to Ginny. And sure enough, they were all signed with "love".

x-x

Valentine's Day brought with it a visit to Hogsmeade, and Harry thanked all the deities he could come up with that Ginny hadn't wanted to go to Madam Puddifoot's. Instead, they were in the Three Broomsticks with Ron and Hermione, watching an argument unfold.

"No, Ronald, you can't make Kreacher do all the housework! He's ancient, and you're perfectly capable of cooking for yourself every now and then!"

"Bet she's never had his cooking," muttered Harry to Ginny, who snickered and then promptly hushed him.

"Be quiet, I want to hear it! I need this for future teasing material," she whispered and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm not _making_ him do anything, he won't take no for an answer! You've seen him in action, you know he loves it," argued Ron, but Hermione just shook her head at him.

"Have you ever told him he doesn't need to do it?" she asked, and Ron just gaped at her.

"Bloody Hell, woman, I love you, but if you think I'm going to turn down an offer of something other than a dinner made by Harry, you're off your bloody rocker," he said, with a decisive nod as if to add "and that's final".

"Excuse me?" said Hermione, completely taken aback.

"I said I'll never eat anything Harry makes ever again if I can help it?" Ron's statement came out as a question, because he really couldn't see why all the fight had left Hermione so suddenly.

"No, not that, the other part," said Hermione impatiently, and Ron was all the more puzzled. Apparently, what he had said hadn't really registered.

"Ron, did you just tell your girlfriend that you love her for the first time in the middle of an argument about House Elf rights?" asked Ginny incredulously. Comprehension dawned on Ron's face, right along with the famous Weasley blush and the tell-tale red ears. "For some reason, I'm not surprised. At least it's Valentine's Day. That counts for romantic, right?"

"Hey, at least I got the words out!" Ron defended himself. "Unlike the git next to you."

"What d'you mean?" asked Harry, so very obviously not seeing Ron's point that Ginny was worried, for the tiniest moment, that she had misunderstood something. Hermione noticed her doubt, and piped in again.

"Have you told Ginny?"

"That I love her? Of course. Every time I see her," said Harry, giving his girlfriend a soft smile. And even though it was the first time she had ever heard him say it out loud, Ginny just gave him a quick kiss and turned to the other two.

"He really does," she confirmed, squeezing his hand under the table. "All the time."


End file.
